Dundee Partnership

The Dundee Partnership is determined to make Dundee a more successful and fairer city and we’ve been preparing our ideas and plans about how we will do this over the next ten years.

We’ve prepared a draft Local Outcome Improvement Plan for 2017-26 that builds on the ongoing extensive community engagement undertaken by partners and agencies across the city. It also incorporates the results of the Engage Dundee process. So we’ve been listening carefully to your views and we hope that this plan shows that we know what your priorities are. Read the draft here.

But this is still a consultation draft so at this stage we are describing our city, the economic and social outcomes we are determined to achieve, and setting out our priorities for action.

Over the next few months we will be collecting the most accurate and informative performance indicators to help us map out our progress and setting targets to stretch us to do better. Our final version will be published by October 2017.

We are already thinking about some of the ways we can improve it by doing things like –

– making it shorter and clearer

– summarising our strengths and achievements as a city as well as the challenges we face

– pulling out lots of information that is in other plans and providing links to them instead

– saying more about how the third and private sectors do and will contribute to improving Dundee

– spelling out our ideas around green spaces and biodiversity

Please let us know what you think by 18 August. To gather your views, we’ve prepared a feedback form that can be found on the Dundee Partnership website here, it can be completed online or downloaded for completion and emailed to us at dundee.partnership@dundeecity.gov.uk or hard copies posted to Dundee Partnership Team, Floor 4, 5 City Square, Dundee, DD1 3BG.

This morning, I attended Dundee’s Second Economic Summit, at the Bonar Hall.

Like last year’s summit, it was extremely well-attended and it was good to see so many of the city’s employers represented.

There were a number of very interesting presentations and I was, in particular, fascinated by the excellent contribution by Herman Twickler, Managing Director of the PressureFab Group, the leading designer and manufacturer of offshore transport and development equipment, and based in the West End Ward at Wright Avenue. Not only did Herman give an insight into the astounding success of PressureFab over the past four years, he also led the calls for employers to take on more modern apprentices.

The photograph below is of David Dorward, the City Council’s Chief Executive, launching the “Discover Opportunities Employers’ Pledge” to encourage employers to help maximise employment opportunities for young people and adults across Dundee to support business growth and develop our city’s economy.

What was striking this morning was the great sense of drive, confidence and optimism about our city’s future and the key role Dundee’s employers have in taking the city forward.

City Council Chief Executive David Dorward addressing the Economic Summit this morning

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the 2012 Dundee Partnership Awards Dinner at the City Chambers – see right.

It was a very enjoyable evening and great to see the winning local organisations recognised for the work they do in local communities across Dundee.

Amongst the winners last night was the Food Train, which has expanded rapidly thanks to the hard work of Grant Simmons, his colleague and the team of volunteers who provide an invaluable shopping service to elderly people across the city.

Yesterday, I took part – along with nearly 300 others from local businesses, the education sector, the Chamber of Commerce, the public sector and many others – in the Dundee Economic Summit. See right.

Organised by the Dundee Partnership, it was a very positive morning spent discussing the economic future of our city – and all the positive developments in Dundee – including V&A at Dundee and the Waterfront development.

I had the opportunity to seek assurances that Dundee Rail Station will be upgraded and redeveloped before the V&A at Dundee opens and was pleased to receive that assurance.

Yesterday morning, in addition to meeting various constituents, I had a meeting with sheltered housing tenants at Sinderins Court, a City Council Environment official and Home Scotland staff about the waste and recycling bins at the complex – see right. The current bins are overly large with heavy lids that some of the tenants find difficult to use. During a very amicable meeting, agreement was reached on smaller communal bins and a more frequent collection.

Early yesterday evening, I had the pleasure of attending the official opening of the Cherry Blossom Nursery School in Seafield Road. The nursery is beautifully build and provides excellent facilities for the local children who attend the nursery. It transforms the site of a long-derelict property and previously badly overgrown grounds. The welcoming lighting outside last night (see above right) was very impressive too!

Later yesterday evening, I attended the Dundee Partnership Awards Dinner at the City Chambers. It was great to see a diverse group of awards winners, all of whom do a huge amount of good for communities across Dundee. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and hear more about the achievements of the winning groups.